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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. cue — for pool
  5. last — to go on
  6. file — a tool
  7. staff — employees
  8. suit — in cards
  9. last — finally
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. cue — a signal
  14. staff — employees
  15. file — a document
  16. fork — in a road
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. file — a line of people
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. staff — a stick
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cue — a hint
  24. last — final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com